After 42 years, WUMD has its final FM show

DARTMOUTH — Just before noon on Monday, current and former WUMD DJs made their final sign offs prior to going completely online after 42 years of broadcasting.

“We will come back out on the other side,” said Jennifer Mulcare-Sullivan, station manager, on the air before sign offs. “We’re all going to get through this together.”

At 12:01 p.m., Mulcare-Sullivan started up on wumd.rocks on a positive note with Bob Marley’s “One Love.” There were claps, hugs and tears.

May 1, the Federal Communications Commission approved the sale of UMass Dartmouth’s 9,800-watt WUMD (89.3 FM) radio license to Rhode Island Public Radio. The sale was to be completed Monday, UMass Dartmouth announced in a press release, resulting in $1.5 million from RIPR to endow need-based financial aid and community engagement programs.

In the coming days, RIPR is slated to begin broadcasting on 89.3 FM while still broadcasting on 88.1, 91.5, and 102.7.

“We see 89.3 FM as part of a critical opportunity to solidify and expand our presence in the region so that we can deepen and broaden the journalism being offered in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts,” said Torey Malatia, RIPR President, CEO and General Manager, in a news release. “RIPR’s vision is to become a center for community conversation and a provider of local stories that inspire citizens to fully engage and make informed decisions about the issues that affect them and their communities.”

In the fall, in addition to current programming, WUMD plans to air a show called Tech Talk developed in collaboration with the university’s First Robotics Team; the SouthCoast Corsairs, a new sports show; and Torch Radio, a collaboration with the student newspaper. WUMD’s “State of the Queer Nation” is slated to be put back on the airwaves, this time on WRIU 90.3 FM on Wednesday mornings after being on wumd.rocks on Mondays.

Following the online changeover, Mulcare-Sullivan also played a bit from George Carlin’s “Class Clown” with seven words that can’t be said on TV, or as Mulcare-Sullivan noted, FM radio.

Ryan Busse who recently graduated from Bishop Stang High School was up next as part of the Rock N Roll High School program.

“There’s no FCC,” Busse told listeners, meaning WUMD, operating online only, is no long under the FCC. “I’m going to continue embracing that,” he said. He began to play songs he wasn’t able to play before. He plans to attend Loyola University in New Orleans in the fall to study audio production, he said.

“The genres you hear on this station you’re not going to hear on any other FM dial and that’s the biggest loss,” said DJ Eric Plant, also known as Jah Soldier on his reggae show.

“I (teared) up during my final sign off,” he said, which occurred after his show last week.

Dave Reis joined the station to promote jazz musicians and after 26 years, the DJ plans to leave. Quite a few older people called and complained that they wouldn’t be able to get online, Reis said.

“This way, I don’t feel like I quit them because we’re not on any more,” he said.

Susan Costa is a 1972 UMD graduate, served as vice chancellor for student affairs for 34 years and retired in 2007. Soon after, she started as a DJ and will continue her show “Jazz Flight.”

“I’m unsure about the audience we’ll be able to attract,” Costa admitted. “We’ll adjust, we’re going to make it work.”

Being a DJ is more than just a hobby, she said. “I can’t imagine not doing it.”